CHURCH OF SAN ROCCO

Located in a strategic position to defend the valley, on the promontory called Del Castel, the church was built between 1580 and 1599 in the village of Turano in Valvestino. The decision to dedicate the building to San Rocco is attributable to a devotional choice which aimed to remove the plague, against which the saint was invoked. The church was built with the stones of the old castle of the Ghibelline soldier Bonifacino da Bollone. The linear architectural forms that constitute this important worship place are very noticeable. The façade, with pilasters, is a temple in the upper part and features a window under which there is the entrance portal surmounted by a small overhanging pediment. During the nineteenth century, the building was extended and this is evident even though the subsequent addition is harmoniously integrated with the primitive construction. In the interior, the altarpiece of Stefano Celesti, father of the more famous Andrea, is preserved. It is also interesting to point out that the church, having been built in the vicinity of the cemetery, is part of an interesting symbolic discourse; in fact it symbolises the redemption of the soul that rises to the sky after the death of the earthly body. (credits Arianna Florioli)